title: Coffee consumption is associated with response to peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High-level coffee consumption has been associated with reduced progression of pre-existing liver diseases and lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its relationship with therapy for hepatitis C virus infection has not been evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n=885) from the lead-in phase of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis Trial recorded coffee intake before retreatment with peginterferon α-2a (180 μg/wk) and ribavirin (1000-1200 mg/day). We assessed patients for early virologic response (2 log10 reduction in level of hepatitis C virus RNA at week 12; n=466), and undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA at weeks 20 (n=320), 48 (end of treatment, n=284), and 72 (sustained virologic response; n=157).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median log10 drop from baseline to week 20 was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.6-3.9) among nondrinkers and 4.0 (IQR, 2.1-4.7) among patients that drank 3 or more cups/day of coffee (P trend<.0001). After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, sex, alcohol, cirrhosis, ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase, the IL28B polymorphism rs12979860, dose reduction of peginterferon, and other covariates, odds ratios for drinking 3 or more cups/day vs nondrinking were 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-3.6; P trend=.004) for early virologic response, 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1-3.9; P trend=.005) for week 20 virologic response, 2.4 (95% CI: 1.3-4.6; P trend=.001) for end of treatment, and 1.8 (95% CI: 0.8-3.9; P trend=.034) for sustained virologic response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-level consumption of coffee (more than 3 cups per day) is an independent predictor of improved virologic response to peginterferon plus ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA. freedmanne@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Neal D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Curto
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Rashmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Everhart
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003069:Coffee; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057216:Propensity Score; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D003069:Coffee; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a